


What a Day

by SalazarTipton



Series: It's Never Easy [1]
Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Arguing, Episode Related, Gap Filler, M/M, S01E01, mlm author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 00:04:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9935741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalazarTipton/pseuds/SalazarTipton
Summary: What happened when Nathan went to arrest Duke in the first episode? What was Duke really asking him to apologize for?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd and my first time writing these characters. Please let me know what you think! <3

“Well if it isn’t my favorite member of the Haven police department,” Duke greets as Nathan steps down onto his boat. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

“Duke,” Nathan says as a warning. He's already stressed enough with this FBI agent stuck to him and the Chief breathing down his neck about it. Having Duke connected to this ordeal only makes things worse.

Duke sets down his coffee mug and walks over to him with arms spread in a manner he hopes conveys that he’s not going to try anything.

“I know, I know. You’re on the clock meaning you’re the big, tough cop and I’m the guy you always try to pin everything on, though it never sticks. What are you convinced I’ve done this time? Is this about the gun that I _did report stolen_?”

“She already told me you somehow saved her life and then served her coffee,” Nathan says with a lilt making it more a question than a statement.

“Yeah, I saw her fall into the water. Of course I--wait. Do you seriously think I would have just let somebody drown? No matter how much you despise me, you know me better than that,” Duke spat out. “Why are you even here?”

Nathan crosses his arms and stares Duke down. “How did Lester of all people end up with that gun? And why did he have a piece of your tide chart on him when he died?”

Before Duke could sidestep the question, Nathan asks another. “Why didn’t you tell me you had an FBI agent on your boat all night? You came over. You could have told me why instead of…”

Duke visibly sags in front of him. His shoulders droop, as does his expression. Nathan even notices how Duke shifts his weight to his back foot like he’s trying to get out of harm's way--like Duke did when they were kids and his Dad was having one of _those days_.

“Nate,” Duke starts. He sounds just like he has all the other times he’s let Nathan down. The soft pleading in his voice with an undercurrent of...of...pity. “That’s not--”

“Duke Crocker, you are under arrest for the murder of Jonas Lester.”

This was one of the few times Nathan wishes he just accepted a police vehicle instead of using his truck. With a cruiser, he’d have a barrier between him and the people he arrests. He wouldn’t be sitting here, trying to drive, while Duke prattles off behind him. The station is only just across town. Soon enough Duke will have to shut it, right?

“Nate, you have no choice, but to listen to me right now since I’m in your custody. Good job, buddy. You played yourself,” Duke points out in a too-chipper tone Nathan recognizes from when Duke is uncomfortable, but feels he has the upper hand.

“I could always gag you.”

“Nathan, I really wish you would open up to me about these things more. If you want to gag me, you only need to ask,” Duke chides.

He’s smirking at Nathan through the rear view mirror. Nathan sighs and turns it so he’s won't be looking at Duke each time he tries to glance at the traffic behind him.

“You’d think you’d be more concerned about being arrested for murder, but you’re just making jokes. Never taking anything seriously,” Nathan says while he turns on the truck.

“There you are with your blanket statements! You can’t just say these grand things as fact. Nothing is just like that--black and white. There’s always something to disprove you,” Duke says like he always says with a wagging finger, though this time Duke had to raise both of his hands for the motion since they were cuffed together. The things he did to accentuate a point.

“I don’t know. You aren’t providing any examples,” Nathan argues back while he Nathan pulls out onto the road towards the station.

“I shouldn’t have to!”

They’ve had this argument more times than Nathan cares to remember, not only over the years, but recently. Duke hasn’t been back in town that long and they’re already at this point. Duke leaving abruptly without giving Nathan the opportunity to make him stay still sat heavy in Nathan’s chest.

“Like a criminal knows what they should and shouldn’t do,” Nathan whispers to himself. He’s sure Duke caught it though since he doesn’t say anything more the whole ride to the station.

In the silence, Nathan wonders if he went too far. He’s been working for years on his judgmental tendencies. When he suddenly couldn’t feel again, it’s like all that he’d become in the time the Troubles were away melted off him. Now he just feels isolated and frustrated.

Well, he usually does, but when Duke came to him last night he thought that maybe, just maybe he could figure out how to be himself through all this. But Duke always has his own motivations. _Always_ , Nathan convinces himself when he parks in front of the station.

Duke’s moment of silence breaks once Nathan drags him through the station doors, but the subject changes.

“You have no reason to be holding me, Nathan,” Duke says loud enough for everyone to turn their heads. “You could make today a lot easier on yourself and just let me go now. No hard feelings.”

Nathan books him.

Duke comes through on his promise of making things harder on Nathan. Instead of answering his questions, Duke sidesteps them and jokes around. Nathan just takes it as further proof that Duke will never take anything seriously. Not the law, not the rules, not Nathan.

He’s glad when Parker comes back. Though she got Conrad to confess, making his arrest of Duke useless, she still manages to get Duke to talk. Maybe his way of insisting and demanding Duke to do what Nathan wants isn’t the best solution.

“I might remember if Nathan apologizes,” Duke tells her.

Duke looks over to Nathan and tilts his head. They both know Duke means for more than just arresting him when Nathan knew he wasn’t the one to hold accountable.

“No.”

All it takes to break him is an insisting look from Parker and a little reason. He quickly gets out a half-assed apology and he gets all he wanted out of Duke in the first place. Duke did warn him that he could have made things easier on it himself. But to Nathan this just showed how he and Duke just can't get along.

So, Nathan and Parker leave Duke at the station, still handcuffed. He figures Duke being where Nathan could guarantee he couldn’t cause him more of a headache or trouble is a rather nice prospect from the kind of day he’s been having. Nathan would be back soon enough to release him and probably even drive him back to the docks.

Then Nathan’s shot in the shoulder. He feels none of the pain and goes through the motions of being patched up at the hospital with nothing but slight annoyance, but it doesn’t add to this hell of a day.

Once his sling is on and he’s told sternly to take it easy and come back tomorrow to be checked on, Nathan heads back to the station to find no Duke and a stack of paperwork. He lifts up the case file on Lester to see a note:

_you’re not done apologizing_

Nathan closes his eyes and grits his teeth. He’s never done with Duke. He sets the papers back done on his desk, hiding the note from sight, and flops down on the couch.

Although Nathan didn’t feel like he did, he knew his body probably needs a little rest after everything today, so he lies back, adjusts his sling, and closes his eyes.

His naps only proves to be a temporary reprieve. Not only is Parker set on Marion controlling the weather--making how Nathan is going to write up his report rather challenging--but she also hands him the photo from the Colorado Kid case.

The paperwork on top of this revelation about Agent Parker takes hold of Nathan’s focus until he’s walking through his front door hours later.

“What did you do?” Duke asks when he rounds the corner from the living room.

“Why are you here, Duke?” Nathan asks. How tired he should feel shows in his voice. He sounds like he’s lagging behind.

“You still owe me an apologize or a hundred and it looks like you need me here anyway,” Duke says. He tries to inspect around the sling to see what’s wrong.

“I was shot,” Nathan admits, knowing it would end this faster. He just wants to sleep and put this day behind him.

“You were shot! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was a little busy arresting someone, going to the hospital, finishing my paperwork,” Nathan lists off, sounding more and more unimpressed with the situation as he goes on.

Though he doesn’t show it, he appreciates Duke not asking if he’s okay. He has no way of knowing _if_ he’s okay. He’s had enough of those reminders today.

“Were you planning on telling me at some point?”

“Can we not do this right now? I need sleep.”

Duke sends him a leveling look when he pulls back from fixing the twisted strap of the sling. Nathan sighs.

“Duke, the day I’ve had, I just--”

“The day you’ve had. Right. I get it. Arresting your...enemy? Old friend? Lover?”  Nathan winces at the latter. “Thankfully, I’m used to your asshole-ish ways, Nate. So, let’s get you up to bed in a way you won’t roll onto your shoulder. We can talk this all out in-depth and get me my apologies in the morning.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you soooo much for reading! It means the world to me. Please let me know what you think in the comments (and kudos are greatly appreciated)! 
> 
> Feel free to come find me on tumblr: [peachstiles](http://peachstiles.tumblr.com/)


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